The fearful trip is
the Civil War
. The ship is the United States. The prize is the preservation of the union. The repetition of “heart” in line 5 emphasizes the poet’s grief at the death of his captain.
What is O Captain my captain’s message?
The poem is
a lament for the death of Lincoln, coupled with relief that the Union has remained intact
. He is our “captain” because he successfully led the nation during a very difficult time.
What does our fearful trip represent?
our fearful trip is done; A ship’s trip can be fearful because there are many natural and man-made dangers in the sea. But the “fearful trip” that Whitman is referring to is
the Civil War
, during which he’d volunteered as a nurse in the army hospitals.
Answer: In his famous poem “O Captain, My Captain,” Walt Whitman is referring to Abraham Lincoln. The “fearful trip” which has just concluded is
the American Civil War
. Walt Whitman, who had lived in Washington during most of the Civil War, was a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln.
What does the poet mean figuratively when he says our fearful trip is done?
Our fearful trip is done.” This line introduces the metaphor around which this entire poem is organized. With this particular phrasing, Whitman is
simultaneously characterizing the nature of this ship’s journey
as a dangerous and frightening one, but also as one located in the past.
How is O Captain My Captain ironic?
Though the speaker calls out for him and wants to celebrate his victory, the captain is unable to answer, as he has died on his ship on the way home. The irony of the situation is
that he managed to protect his ship in battle and return it home safe and sound, yet he is no longer alive to enjoy his victory
.
Who is called captain?
1 : the commanding officer of a ship. 2 : a leader of a group :
someone in command
the captain of a football team. 3 : an officer of high rank in a police or fire department. 4 : a commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard ranking above a commander.
What is the extended metaphor in the poem O Captain My Captain?
The entire poem is an extended metaphor, or figurative language that implies comparison between seemingly unlike things, for the United States after the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. In the metaphor,
the captain is Lincoln, the voyage is the war and the ship is the United States.
What do the flag is flung bugle trills and ringing bells signify?
Lines 10-11 of the poem describe the mourning period after his death, for when it says “for you the flag is flung” (line 10) it is stating how the U.S. flags were flown at half-mast, and “for you the bugle trills” (line 10) symbolizes
“Taps”
—a tune commonly played at the burial of soldiers.
What does bugle trills mean?
A bugle trill is a short burst of notes from a bugle horn, often meant to signify
military victory
.
What does Exult O shores mean?
The speaker says the shores, by which he means
the crowds on the shore
, should exult or celebrate and ring the church bells because the ship has won an important battle.
What kind of poem is O Captain My Captain?
My Captain!, three-stanza poem by Walt Whitman, first published in Sequel to Drum-Taps in 1865. From 1867 the poem was included in the 1867 and subsequent editions of Leaves of Grass. “O Captain! My Captain!” is
an elegy
on the death of Pres.
What is the prize a metaphor for in O Captain My Captain?
The captain is a metaphor for
Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States from 1861-1865
. Lincoln was like a captain because he was the leader of the country in the same way that a captain leads his crew.
What is the speaker referring to in these lines?
What is the speaker referring to in these lines?
The people of the country are celebrating Lincoln’s victory
.
Which serves as the strongest evidence that the speaker feels affection for the poem’s subject?
Which serves as the strongest evidence that the speaker feels affection for the poem’s subject?
The importance of the death to the speaker.
What does the speaker of the poem asks the captain to do?
In the second stanza, the speaker implores the Captain to
“rise up and hear the bells
,” wishing the dead man could witness the elation. Everyone adored the captain, and the speaker admits that his death feels like a horrible dream. In the final stanza, the speaker juxtaposes his feelings of mourning and pride.
